Over the past months, residents of Cowlitz County have been challenged in an unprecedented way as the COVID-19 pandemic races across our community and world. Fear and concern have touched us all. The Courts have been no exception to this struggle as we grapple with the constitutional mandate of providing access to the courts and at the same time ma...

SUPERIOR COURT RESPONSE TO GOVERNOR'S 11-15-2020 MANDATE Cowlitz County Superior Court will be maintaining court operations as set out in our various emergency orders. We made our decision after careful consideration of information provided by the Governor during his November 15, 2020 press conference. As the COVID-19 situation is fluid, interested...

We have re-published our local rules on our website in a format that is a bit easier to use than our old link to the State AOC Website which has all rules in a PDF. To get to them on our website, click on the RULES link then choose Local Rules from the drop down. The direct link to the rules page is: https://www.cowlitzsuperiorcourt.us/local-court-...

Effective December 31, 2020, the Non-Parental Custody Statute (RCW 26.10) is repealed, and will be replaced by RCW 11.130.185 et Seq., the Uniform Guardianship Act – Minors. This memorandum will address how the Court is addressing pending cases. Effective January 1, 2021, the Court will dismiss any cases that do not have either a final order or a t...

 Please join the Cowlitz Wahkiakum County Bar Association and Cowlitz Wahkiakum Legal Aid in a noon CLE with Cowlitz County Judges and learn what attorneys should know in assisting the court in court hearings during these restricted and difficult times due to COVID 19.  ADVICE FROM THE BENCH COWLITZ COUNTY JUDGES Wednesday, October 21, 20...

To: Cowlitz Criminal Bar Fr: Marilyn K. Haan, Assistant Presiding Judge Dt: October 8, 2020 Re: Exoneration of Bond This is a reminder that once your client pleads guilty or is found guilty, any posted bond is exonerated by operation of law at the moment of conviction. RCW 10.64.025(1); State v. French, 88 Wash. App 586, 945 P.2d 752 (Div 2 1997). ...